Russia announced nuclear exercises Montreal Gazette

Content of the article

Russia said on Monday it plans to conduct exercises simulating the use of nuclear weapons on a battlefield, amid heightened tensions following statements by senior Western officials about the possibility of deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine.

The announcement comes ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fifth term as president and a week after Moscow celebrated Victory Day, the most important secular holiday marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, on Thursday.

Content of the article

Content of the article

“These exercises are being held in response to the provocative statements and threats of some Western officials against the Russian Federation,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

This is the first time that Russia's strategic nuclear forces have publicly announced exercises involving tactical nuclear weapons, although they regularly conduct exercises. Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, short-range missile warheads, and artillery munitions and are intended for use on the battlefield. They are less powerful than large warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles and destroy entire cities.

Russia's announcement was a warning to Ukraine's Western allies about getting deeper into the 2-year-old war. Some of Ukraine's Western partners have previously expressed concern that the conflict could spill over into a war between NATO and Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated last week that he would not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, while British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Kiev forces could use British long-range weapons to strike targets in Russia. Some other NATO countries, which supply arms to Kiev, refused this opportunity.

Content of the article

Content of the article

The Kremlin described the comments as dangerous, raising tensions between Russia and NATO. The war has already put a significant strain on relations between Moscow and the West.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Macron's latest statement and other statements by UK and US officials prompted the nuclear drills.

“This is a new round of tensions,” Peskov said, referring to the Kremlin's provocative statements. “This is unprecedented and requires special attention and special measures.”

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Putin-led Russia's Security Council, said in his usual dour fashion that Macron and Cameron's comments risked pushing the nuclear-armed world into “global catastrophe”.

This is not the first time that European military support for Ukraine has prompted nuclear violations. In March 2023, after Britain decided to supply Ukraine with armor-piercing shells containing depleted uranium, Putin said Ukraine intended to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.

Content of the article

The ministry said the exercise was aimed at “increasing the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces for combat missions” and was ordered by Putin. The Air Force and the Navy will participate in the maneuvers along with missile units of the Southern Military District, the report said.

The Russian announcement caused little reaction in Ukraine, where Andrei Yusov, spokesman for the Military Intelligence Directorate, said on national television: “Nuclear blackmail is a routine practice of the Putin regime; this is not important news.”

Western officials have accused Russia of threatening a wider war through provocations. Last week, NATO countries expressed deep concern about the hybrid operations campaign on the territory of the military alliance, accusing Moscow of being behind them and saying they pose a security threat.

Peskov denied these claims as “new, groundless accusations against our country.”

Germany announced on Monday that it had recalled its ambassador to Russia for a week of consultations in Berlin over alleged computer hacking of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party.

Content of the article

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones hit two vehicles in Russia's Belgorod region on Monday, killing six people and injuring 35, including two children, local authorities said. The area has been hit by Kyiv forces in recent months.

One of the vehicles was a minibus carrying farm workers, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

The report could not be independently verified.

Although Ukraine's army is entrenched in a 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line after more than two years of fighting, short of troops and ammunition, it has used its long-range firepower to pound targets deep inside Russia.

In a largely attritional war, Russia has relied heavily on long-range missiles, artillery and drones to inflict damage on Ukraine.

Kremlin forces continued to bomb Ukraine's power grid, and overnight Russian drones targeted energy infrastructure in the Sumy region of northern Ukraine. Many towns and villages in the region, including Sumy, were left without electricity, regional authorities said.

Russia attacked Ukrainian targets overnight with 13 Shahed drones, 12 of which were intercepted in the Sumy region, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine here: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Content of the article